Something Better Change

The Stranglers – October 15^th 1977 – Leeds Queens Hall

By late 1977, I’d been to a few gigs but they’d all been in Harrogate and quite small but with my brother living at home after finishing university, I could travel further afield with him, without my parents worrying.

On Saturday October 15^th 1977 Leeds University was hosting the Live Stiffs tour with Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Ian Dury & The Blockheads, Wreckless Eric and Larry Wallis. Being a fan of the Stiff record label, I wanted to go but it wasn’t the only gig in Leeds that night. My favourite band at the time was The Stranglers and they were playing Queens Hall on the same night. It was one I couldn’t miss.

Support was provided by Manchester band, The Drones, and one of the few punk bands from Australia to make it over here, The Saints. Again, this gig was so long ago that I don’t remember very much. It was a dark, dingy venue and with all the punks around, a little scary. Everything was running late and so we had to leave before the end in order to catch the last train home but we left it as late as possible, running to the nearby train station clutching my souvenir t-shirt and just made it with seconds to spare. It was a shame missing the end of the gig but the alternative was catching a lift back with some schoolmates and I think 13 occupants is probably enough for a Mk II Cortina.

Considering that The Stranglers were my favourite band for so long and that up until 1981 I’d bought all of their singles, it’s surprising that I didn’t see them live again until they appeared at Guilfest in 2006. I’m not normally one for nostalgia and I wouldn’t normally have gone to see someone from my past but they really rocked, despite Hugh having left to concentrate on his solo work, which he was also performing at Guilfest that weekend.

I saw them again recently, the first band I saw in my new home town of Sunderland. And they pretty much still came up with the goods. It was a bit embarrassing that they’re still performing tracks like ‘Bring on the Nubiles’, I would have thought they’d have grown out of it, but all in all they still gave us a good night out. Just a shame that we got locked in the park on the way home.